Panel Discussions

Monthly Archives: November 2012

Post navigation

Despite a long weekend I’m still plowing through last week’s releases, so karma has decided to take it light on me this week.

ADVENTURE TIME #10

FF #1 – So Reed Richards selfishly moves the Future Foundation to a mobile headquarters and the tale of their replacements begins here. Even the Fraction/Allred team here doesn’t really interest me, but depending on how desperate I am at my LCS, that might change. It’s how I picked up Fantastic Four #.

Two surprisingly full weeks of releases after a long dry spell is a welcome change, even if I know it’s not sustainable for long. Here are this week’s new and noteworthy titles.

BRAVEST WARRIORS #2 – I didn’t know what to expect from the first issue of Bravest Warriors, but it was a fun book. The team spends the issue trying to creep each other out by relating scary story trailers. It’s funny and weird in the same sense as Adventure Time, but it felt a little on the light side. A kid would like it more than an adult, I think (as opposed to AT, which can satisfy both audiences equally), but it’s still a good read.

DAREDEVIL #20

GLORY #30

GOON #43 – Man, The Goon. Eric Powell has been on such a great roll of insanely good stories lately, but they haven’t had the same level of comedy that I’ve come to expect from The Goon. I’m not complaining in the least (and the hilarious and pointed superhero issue is probably more recent than I remember) but I feel like the world could be opened up (a la Hellboy and BRPD) to incorporate all types of stories each month.

HAWKEYE #4 – It is absolutely RIDICULOUS how good Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye title is. I love the character, and really enjoyed the last Fabian Nicieza title, but even I didn’t expect how good it would be. From the dry wit and action of Fraction’s story to the sparse but moody art by Aja, this book is just a knockout. It’s not quite broken in enough to challenge Waid’s Daredevil, but with Paolo Rivera no longer handling the artwork it’s poised to bump that title.

IT GIRL & THE ATOMICS #4

JUDGE DREDD #1 – I’m curious if the U.S. can replicate the dark cyncism of Dredd, but I’ll give it a quick check to see how it looks.

ROCKETEER CARGO OF DOOM #4

THE SPIDER #6

X-O MANOWAR (ONGOING) #7 – I’m picking up all of the other Valiant titles, and each and every one of them is a great example of fun comics where things actually happen in every issue. But for some reason I’m not getting X-O. So tell me, how is it? Am I missing anything?

I’ve been pretty ambivalent on the whole concept of Marvel NOW!, to the point where I’m been thinking about using it as a jumping OFF point. But Fantastic Four #1 hit the stands last week and I couldn’t resist it. Now, even though I’m a year or so behind on Hickman’s run I was able to follow where all of the characters were at that moment, so it is a decent place to pick it up. That said, it didn’t do a lot for me. There was still a family feel, but it left me cold. Technically, Matt Fraction hits the same notes as Hickman but it just doesn’t come across as warmly for some reason. Maybe it’s the notes like Reed’s selfish decision to move the school, but I think I’m going to be happy to leave this one behind.

Another month, another 3 month peek into the future of comics. Let’s take a look at the first batch of 2013’s comic books.

Action Lab Entertainment

NFL Rush Zone: Season of the Guardians #1 – NFL SuperPro is back for the 21st century! Or something.

ArtFX

DC Comics Aquaman New 52 Statue – I’m just glad they included the close-up shot of his belt buckle so I know they’re really and truly getting the core of the character right.

Dark Horse Comics

Eerie Comics #2 – Sure, the Mike (Madman) Allred story is going to be pretty, but I have to buy this because Brian (Atomic Robo) Clevenger has a story in it. Oh yeah, I’m also going to be doing those old-school Superman secret identity parentheses.

Number 13 #2 – Hey guys, Carrot Top finally got his own comic book!

Star Wars #1 – I’m the rare sort of geek who loves Star Wars but doesn’t love EVERYTHING Star Wars…That is, if it happens in a movie it counts and if it’s in supplemental material I’m pretty happy to just ignore it. That said, a new ongoing series written by Brian (DMZ) Wood with covers by Alex (Marvels, Kingdom Come) Ross is JUST the sort of thing to send my nerdometer off, so, yeah…I’m in.

DC Comics

Ame-Comi Girls #4 – Um…hey pencillers? Look, I love a sexy girl in comics as much as the next guy, but you HAVE to think about your anatomy! Take Power Girl’s chest window here, for example. Where the hell are her nipples supposed to be??? If you can’t think about how a woman’s anatomy is supposed to exist then you’re just drawing breasts for their own sake. And that’s very, very disturbing.

Superboy #16/Annual #1 – Let’s just get this straight. SuperMAN is too cool to wear tights, so he’s rockin’ Levi’s, but SuperBOY has to show his junk off in spandex. Unfair.

Superman vs Shazam – In further proof that DC has no singular vision of which version of their characters they want to represent, this collection goes back to PRE-Crisis. Personally, I’ve never understood why Captain Marvel and Superman would ever wind up in a fight with each other.

Dynamic Forces

Masks #3 – I’m pretty excited about the pulp hero team-up Chris (Superman) Roberson is putting out, and this issue adds public domain heroes like Green Lama and Black Terror into the mix. Will it all make sense or will it be too much of a good thing? We’ll find out in 3 months.

Dynamite Entertainment

I just mention them because there are a TON of exceptionally expensive signed books in here. Like Star Trek: TNG/Doctor Who #8 for $30 and Amazing Spider-Man #700 for $400. Damn!

IDW

Mars Attacks every damn thing in January. And while some of the covers should be cool, like Berke Breathed’s Opus or Dave Sim’s Cerebus, I just can’t figure out why in the world this is getting published.

Image Comics

Invincible #100 – Say what you will about Invincible — and there have been some pretty valid criticisms — these days it’s pretty remarkable for ANY comic to reach 100 issues, much less an indie title, so congratulations to Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley.

KaBOOM!

Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake #1 – Boom!’s kids line sure is making the most of it’s Adventure Time license with this mini-series about the gender-swapped characters. But I’m at least going to check out the first issue, written by character creator and TV series artist Natasha Allegri.

Marvel Comics

Avengers vs Thanos TPB – All negativity aside, I’m going to have to buy this collection of all Thanos’ appearances in the 70’s. Every issue is on my pull list but they are REALLY pricey, even for reading copies. So while the single issues will stay on my pull list, at least I have a way to read the stories. Well, once I find it on sale, because the $35 cover price is nuts.

Superior Spider-Man #1 – I’m inclined to think Marvel’s shaking up their Spidey status quo for no good reason — and maybe they are — but Dan Slott has been an excellent Spider-Man writer so I’m inclined to give him a little leeway here. As they say in Law and Order, “I’ll allow it, but I want to see where you’re going with this counselor.”

Thor Movie Adaptation #1 – Just in time to capitalize on the hit 2011 movie!

Thunderbolts #3 – Wait, there are still Thunderbolts AND Dark Avengers? Wait, RED Leader? Just in case you wondered at which point I fell out, this is it. I mean, it’s all just making a little too much sense. Marvel and DC are basically just licensed-character generating machines at this point, but no creator with a brain wants to hand over their original creations to the corporate machine, so they just keep coming up with variations on a theme.

Uncanny X-Force #1 – I think anyone referring to “fan-favorite Puck” MIGHT be buying into the hype a bit too much. That’s like reading only this blog and coming up with “fan-favorite Aquaman”. In unrelated news: there are TWO X-Forces now???

NBM

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Volume 1 – It’s like they consulted Michael Kupperman on this cover. Where is that eye coming from???

Shh! Productions

The Disturbingly Perverted Diary of Doktormentor: Jail Babe Surgeon Volume 1 – Thank god this is coming out, because there’s no Girls and Corpses this month! And oh hey, there’s a signed DVD edition for only $40! But seriously, this is messed up.

Toys

Gingerdead Man 1/1-Scale Replica – This is weird and all, but my main question is for Matt: how the hell did we miss THIS gem?!?!?!

Orders must be in to your LCS by November 18, 2012 and are scheduled to arrive in January.

After a few weeks of desperation, truly starting to consider whether my pull list was dwindling away to nothing, I get a nice full week of releases. Here’s this week’s new and noteworthy titles.

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG (NEW) #4 – Out of an admittedly strong line across the board, Fred Van Lente’s lively scripts and Clayton Henry’s detailed linework on Archer and Armstrong is by far my favorite. So far we’ve had a fun globe-trotting adventure with a healthy dose of comedy and grindhouse-style action.

ATOMIC ROBO FLYING SHE DEVILS O/T PACIFIC #4

BILLY KIDS ODDITIES & ORM LOCH NESS #2 – A bit more horror than I tend to go in for, this isn’t as much in the same vein as Eric Powell’s work on the Goon, and Kyle Hotz’s work here, already a little hit or miss with me, reminds me a bit too much of Kelley Jones. I gave it an honest try, but just didn’t enjoy it.

BLOODSHOT (ONGOING) #5 – And speaking of Valiant, Bloodshot is a real surprise. A fun read that actually make some sense and utilizes the character and his abilities in interesting ways, rather than just a bunch of buzzwords slapped together. This book is a real tribute to the talents of Dwayne Swierczynski and Manuel Garcia.